Rim breaker



Nov. 10, 1925 1,560,958

WMJ. WILKINSON ETAL RIM BREAKER Filed May 8. '1925 A Waller lame: (:Zfiison dni aernara? lnirew 642M171 ide Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

unirnn srarss rarnnr orrica WALTER JAMES WILKINSON, OF CAULFIEL'D, AND BERNARD ANDREW! HAMILL, OF

- EAST MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.

RIM BREAKER.

Application filed May 8, 1925. Serial No. 28,877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER JAMES vVI nINsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Caulfield, and BERNARD ANDREW HAMILL, a subject of the King of Great Britain and he land, and a resident of East'ltlelbourne, both in the county of Bourke, State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented a. certain new and useful Improved Rim Breaker, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to tools for con tracting and expanding the laterally divided or split metal wheel rims which are commonly used to accommodate straight sided or wired edge pneumatic tyres. Owing to the'non-stretching properties of the edges of such tyres it is necessary to circumferentially contract or overlap the normally abutting ends of the split rim so that the tyre may be removed therefrom and replaced, after which the rim is again expanded to its normal state with the rim ends abutting.

Various devices have hitherto been employed for the above purpose but the present invention refers more particularly to that type of device which comprises a pair of rim gripping elements which are adapted to engage and grip the split rim adjacent its ends, said gripping elements being interconnected by means which permit-of the two gripping elements being drawn towards and moved away from each other in a circumferential direction to respectively contract and expand the rim.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved rim-breaking tool or device of the general type indicated whereby the abutting ends of the rim are firstforced apart and the rim gripping elements then moved towards and subsequentlyfrom each other to contract and expand the rim, by simple operation of a hand lever which is pivotally connected with one of the gripping elements and is coupled by a link with the other, each of said gripping element-s being provided with adjusting means, whereby they may be readily adapted to accommodate wheel rims of various sizes.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification:-

Figure 1 shows an improved rim breaking tool in accordance with the invention,

applied to a split wheel rim which, with a portion of the tyre, is. shown in broken lines. l he rim gripping elements are shown clamped to the rim preparatory to manipulating the hand lever to force the abutting ends of the rim apart.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the relative positions of the various members Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of portion of a gripping element with a cover plate removed to show an adjustable sliding block and pivot pin in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross section of one of the rim gripping elements, attached to a wheel rim, indicated in broken lines, and showing the adjusting means of the gripping element in accordance with the invention.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the above mentioned adjustable sliding block of one of the rim gripping elements.

The invention includes a pair of rim gripping elements, each of which preferably comprises a clamping or body member 2 which maybe of arched formation as shown so that one end Sengages the flat inner face 5 ofthe split rim 4 by operation of a clamping screw 6 which passes through a threaded hole in the oppositeend 7 of said clamping member. The inner end of this clamping screw also engages the flat inner face 5 of the rim, as clearly indicated in Figures 1 to a of the drawings.

According to the invention, each of the rim gripping elements is provided with an adjustable member preferably in the form of a substantially U--shaped sliding block 8, the upstanding legs 9 of which are provided at their upper ends with concave bearing recesses 10. The legs 9 are united at their lower ends by a bridge portion 11 which may have upwardly converging or bevelled faces as seen in Figures 6 and? to provide the necessary clearance for a pair of hinged claws hereinafter referred to. The saidsliding block 8 is accommodated in a slot or guideway 1.2 which is formed in the clamping or body member 2 and is partially enclosed on one side by inwardly projecting flanges 13, whilst its other side is also partially closed by a detachable cover plate 1%. This cover plate which may be held in posi tion by screws, rivets or the like 15 is provided with a central aperture 16 coinciding with a corresponding aperture 17 formed by the aforesaid inwardly projecting flanges 13.

The two apertures are adapted to freely pass the upper or inner end portion of a pair of hinged or pivoted claws which enter the guideway 12 and are pivoted to a pivot pin 18 which is accommodated by the aforesaid bearing recesses 10 in the sliding block 8. An adjusting screw 19 passes through a threaded hole 19 in the, bottom portion of the body member 2 and engages the bottom of. the sliding block 8 to adjust the position of the latter and the hinged claws as hereinafter mentioned;

The outer ends of the hinged claws 20 are hooked as at 20 to thereby engage and firmly grip the edges of the rim 4 when the clamping screw dis operated as aforesaid. The rim is thus tightly clamped or gripped between the clamping member 2 and the hooked ends 20 of the claws 20. By manipulation of the adjusting screw 19, the sliding block 8 may be raised or lowered in relation to the memberv 2 so that the pivot 18 of the hinged claws may be moved towards or from the wheel rinr according to the width and thickness of the particular rim to be operated on.

The claws 20 are normally pressed inwardly by springs 21 the outer ends of which engage the claws as seen-in Figure 6 whilst the inner or upper ends of said springs are riveted or otherwise suitably secured as at to an inward radial extension 23 of the respective clamping or body member 2.

Pivoted as at at to said inward extension 23 of the clamping or body member 2 is an arched arm 25, the opposite or free end of which is adapted to engage the clamping or body member 2 during the initial operation of the device as seen in Figures 1 and 2. This pivoted arm 25 may be bifurcated or divided to accommodate the inner end of a hand lever 26 which is pivoted at 27 to the arm 25, and is thus connected to the adjacent rim gripping element.

Pivoted as at 28 to the hand lever 26 at a point intermediate the ends of the latter is one end of a connecting link 29. This link is pivoted as at to the inward extension 23 of the other rim gripping element as seen in Figures 1 to3.

Pivoted as at 31 to the connecting link 2) intermediate the ends of the latter is a presser arm 32 the free outer end 33 of whichmay be roughened or serrated and is adapted to engage and press against the inner flat surface 5 of the wheel rim 4L- adjacent one of the abutting ends 5 thereof, as in Figure 2 to thereby initially break or separate said abutting ends on appropriate operation of the hand lever as hereinafter described.

In use the rim gripping elements are first engaged with the split wheel rim at opposite sides of and adjacent its abutting extremities 5 so that said extremities lie be tween the presser arm 32 and the adjacent rim gripping element. By tightening on the clamping screws 6 the end portions of the wheel rim are tightly gripped between the claws 20 and the clamping or body members 2 as aforesaid, the adjusting screws 19 and their appurtenances enabling the hinged claws to be adjusted to suit the particular rim. The outer end of the presser arm 32 is now engaged with the inner face 5 of the wheel rim close to the abutting ends of the latter, so that by slight downward pressure of the hand lever 26 about its pivot 27 the abutting ends of the rim are forced apart in a radial direction by the outward pressure of the arm 32 and the opposite inward pressure of the adjacent rim grip ping element, such pressure being imparted through the connecting link 29 fulcruming at the pivotal point 31 of the presser arm 32. The continuity of the rim is thus broken so that one end thereof overlaps the other as indicated in Figure 2.

The presser arm 32 has now performed its function and is free to disengage the rim which is contracted to the desired extent by swinging the hand lever 26 over to the left as in Figure 3 or in the opposite direction to that required for separating the abutting ends as above mentioned. It will be noted in this regard that the hand lever swings first about the pivot 27 and then bodily with the curved arm 25 about the pivot 24-.

When the rim is thus contracted to the desired extent it may be held in such contracted position by engaging the link of a chain or the like 35 on a catch or projection 36 on one of the clamping or body members 2, this chain being attached at 37 by the hand lever 26.

lUO

To expand the rim back to its normal position the chain is disconnected from the catch 36 and the hand lever is moved back in the opposite direction, namely, to the right in Figure 3 so that the ends of the rim are returned to their normal abutting position as in Figure 1.

Having now described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1, A rim breaker comprising a pair of rim gripping elements, each comprising a body member, a pair of claws pivoted at their inner ends to said body member and adapted at their outer ends to engage opposite sides of the wheel rim, a clamping screw carried by said body member and adapted to clamp the rim between said body member and the outer ends of said pivoted claws, screw adjustment means associated with said claws whereby the pivoted inner ends of the latter may be moved towards or from the wheel rim, a hand lever pivotally connected with one of said gripping elements, and a link pivotally connected between said hand lever and the other rim gripping element.

2. In a rim breaker, a rim gripping element consisting of a body or clamping member, a slide mounted therein, a pivot pin carried by said slide, a pair of claws connected at their inner ends to said pivot pin and having their outer ends hooked to en gage opposite sides of the wheel rim, and an adjusting screw engaging said slide to vary the position of the same, and, hence, of said pivot pin and claws inwardly and outwardly in relation to said body member.

3. In a rim breaker, a rim gripping ele ment comprising a body or clamping member having a recess therein, a sliding block mounted in said recess, a pivot pin mounted on said sliding block, claws connected at their inner ends to said pivot pin and having their outer ends hooked to engage opposite sides of the wheel rim, and an adjusting screw carried by said body member and engaging said block to vary the position of the latter inwardly and outwardly within said recess.

at. In a rim breaker, a rim gripping element comprising in combination a body member having a recess or guideway formed therein, a substantially U-shaped sliding block mounted in said recess, a pivot pin mounted in bearing recesses in the opposite arms of said sliding block, claws connected at their inner ends to said pivot pin be tween said arms of the sliding block, the outer ends of said claws being hooked to engage opposite sides of the wheel rim, and an adjusting screw engaging a threaded hole in said body member, the inner end of said screw being adapted to engage the base of said sliding block.

5. In a rim breaker, a rim gripping element comprising in combination a body member having a recess or guideway formed therein and provided with apertures opening at each side thereof, a sliding block mounted in said guideway, a pair of claws passing through said apertures at the sides of the body member and having their inner ends pivotally connected to said sliding block, the outer ends of said claws being hooked to engage opposite sides of the wheel rim, and an adjusting screw adapt ed to vary the position of said sliding block inwardly and outwardly within said recess or guideway. a

6. A rim breaker consisting of a pair of rim gripping elements, each comprising a body or clamping member, a pair of claws pivoted at their inner ends to said body member and having their outer ends adapted to engage opposite sides of the Wheel rim, a clamping screw carried by the body mem ber and adapted to clamp the wheel rim between said body member and the outer ends of said claws, screw adjustment means adapted to vary the position of the pivotal point of said claws in relation to said body member and the wheel rim so that the claws may accommodate rims of difierent sizes, and a hand lever and link connection be tween said gripping elements.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

VVALTER JAMES WILKINSON. BERNARD ANDREW HAMILL. 

